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National Flood Insurance Program--Opportunity to Comment before December 31

Lake Columbia Friends, I came across this information for persons to voice their opinion of the current FEMA Flood Insurance Problems we have been experiencing. Please note if you wish to voice your opinion in this matter you have to the 31st to do so.

The following memo was received by the writer of this email:

Last year, we sent out an E-Letter on the problems many townships have experienced with the new FEMA Flood Maps. To summarize, the process used by FEMA to draw the new maps has in numerous cases caused inaccurate new maps that have wrongly included properties in flood hazard areas. This has required citizens to purchase unnecessary flood insurance at great cost.

We were just advised today that FEMA is currently reviewing the flood insurance program, and will receive comments until the end of this month, December 31, 2010. You can find out more about the opportunity to comment at this link:  http://www.floods.org/ace-files/chapters/NFIP_Reform_Fed_Register.pdf 

If your township had a negative experience with the FEMA flood insurance program, you may want to send your comments to the director of FEMA before the end of the comment period. Comments may be emailed to FEMA-RULES@dhs.gov .  Please be sure to include Docket ID: FEMA-2010-0065  in the subject line of your message.

 
From Ray T Kuzminski

 
12/23/2010

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Wells Fargo just sent us a email confirming we are not in a flood zone and no survey is needed.  When we supplied all the info we had to our mortgage consultant he went to bat for us and contacted Wells Fargo home office Flood Department and got the initial FEMA Standard Flood Hazard Determination changed.

Hal & Barb

12/15/2010

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NEIGHBORLINK COMMENT

We can't document this but we were told by the Walton Agency that Fema based insurance companies will refund insurance paid once Fema has approved your claim for reversal. This may not be true of all insurance companies but worth checking if you had to get the insurance and then later Fema approved your LOMA

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Rick and I just moved here and are still trying to get the flood plain insurance issue resolved.  We had a private survey done which clearly showed we were not in a flood plain.

At the time of closing, FEMA still had not completed the process of making their insurance available to the Lake Columbia area.  So our mortgage lended insisted we purchase flood as a contingency of our mortgage.  They would not accept the completed paperwork as proof so we had to purchase flood insurance from Lloyd's of London. ($3400 annual fee).  We are still waiting for the official certificate from FEMA which is the only document our lender will accept as proof we are not in a flood plain.  At present we are still awaiting this document.  In the meantime, we have been informed that FEMA flood insurance ($400 annual fee) is now available so we are canceling our private insurance, picking up FEMA's, and will cancel that when we receive the certificate from FEMA.  It's been quite a complicated process.  Hope others in the area have had an easier time of dealing with all this red tape.  However, we do love this area, and the neighbors have been very friendly and supportive.  We'll keep you posted when we complete this process concerning the flood plain insurance. 
Rick and Sandy Walleman

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Our home is at 103 Bedford Dr. which is the new construction on the south point of Bedford.  If you have viewed our home from the lake, there is no denying that our basement has one of the lowest elevations, if not the lowest on the lake.
 
In late July, Ripstra & Scheppelman completed the survey of our property, and completed the LOMA for us to submit.  All we had to do was review, sign and mail.  On August 4th, we received a confirmation email that FEMA received our information and that it would take 30-60 days to complete the evaluation.  The survey concluded that the lowest elevation of our structure/lot was measured at 989.3 feet (NAVD 88).  Our home is dangerously close to the 1% Flood Elevation.  The FEMA 1% flood elevation was stated at 988.8 feet per our determination document.  Putting our home only 6" above the flood elevation.
 
On Friday, September 24th, we received the LOMA Determination Document(removal) which removed our home from the Special Flood Hazard Area(SFHA). Here is the word for word description from our Determination Document:
 
"This document provides the Federal Emergency Management Agency's determination regarding a request for a Letter of Map Amendment for the property described above.  Using the information submitted and the effective National Flood Insurance Program(NFIP) map, we have determined that the described portion of the property is not located in the SFHA, an area inundated by the flood having 1 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.  This document amends the effective NFIP map to remove the subject property from the SFHA located on the effective NFIP map; therefore, the Federal mandatory flood insurance requirment does not apply.  However, the lender has the option to continue the flood insurance requirement to protect its financial risk on the loan.  A Preferred Risk Policy(PRP) is available for buildings located outside the SFHA."
 
So now it is up to our lender (OSB Community Bank), to determine if they will accept the Determination Document.  We are meeting with them this week and will give an update once we get word.
 
As confusing as it all sounded once this problem hit all of us, Al Scheppelman made the process effortless, and I would recommend everyone giving him a call for your survey and LOMA submission.  Keep in mind, our home is just about as low as it gets.  So if you think your home is close, get it checked because I would bet that your home is actually OK.
 
If anyone has any questions about the process, feel free to give us a call or stop by our home to discuss.
 
Hope this helps,
 
Brian and Nicole Knapp
103 Bedford Dr.
517-938-8009

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I have found out that the surveyor, Karol Grove (see Nicholl's comments below), has done 55 surveys on this matter and none of these residents needed to buy Flood Insurance.


An interesting opinion is in the Exponent this week (9/22)

 

Steve Sacka
592 8989 

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My neighbor and I living on Archwood Circle both have had surveys done by separate surveyors and both surveyors have determined we are above the flood plain. We both have filed with LOMA and have case numbers. My mortgage company has required me to get insurance while I wait for the results. I am beginning to wonder if anyone is truly in a flood plain.

Pam Anderson
152 Archwood Circle


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Hello,  My name is Doug Crippen 113 Highview Ct.  Southern Shores.  All I did is call my insurance man and ask him to run A report on our property.
The form # is FEMA form 81-93, Dec 08  The report came back Flood Zone X.  My insurance man said that we did not need a survey.  Regards

Thanks Doug for making a point of this. If the Fema Flood Plain map does not show you to be in the flood plain, you do not need a survey.  --- The Link
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I just had my survey done by Flood Zone Specialist LLC and they told me that they have surveyed 55 lake columbia property owners and they have only found one property owner who actually fell into the flood plain.  You can call them at 248-887-3722 and speak to Karol Grove and she will inform you of all that you need to know!!!!  They also can file the correct paperwork to FEMA to make the correction to remove you from the flood plain.  For sure FEMA has really made so very serious errors in their assessment process.  Is it possible to sue FEMA for the expense they have caused us due to their errors?  Numerous law suits might be a way to stop FEMA from doing the same thing to other people in Michigan. Tom Nicholls

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We live on Hewitt Ct in Holiday Shores and had Flood Zone Specialists out to do the survey.  We first called the Walton Agency and Michelle helped us in obtaining the Flood Certificate and we were in zone A.  The FEMA maps showed the entire road underwater......THE SURVEY SAYS......... NONE OF US ARE IN THE FLOOD ZONE!!!!!!!! Cost us $450.  Apparently the $375 rate is no longer available but obviously we aren't complaining.

John Piotrowski 

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Standard Flood Hazard Determination Form


I called the Walton Insurance Agency in Jackson and this was my experience. I only  had to give them my home address (not my parcel ID). They were able to email me a completed "Standard Flood Hazard Determination Form" (SDHDF). This form will state if your property and/or your structure is in the flood plain. 

If you are not in the flood plain, it is a nice official looking form to have in your files.  There is a little "Flood Certification Seal" on the document from the CoreLogic  Flood Service in Austin Texas.

If you are in the floodplain, you can decide if you want to get a survey done that may or may not validate the Fema findings. If the survey shows that Fema was wrong, you can file a LOMA with Fema.

I don't have insurance with Walton  and I am sure other agencies would give you the same information. This just happened to be who I called. The contact name is  Michelle Turner at 517-796-6243  e-mail  mturner@waltonagency.com.


Mine stated "The subject property is Partially within the Special Flood Hazard Area. The existing STRUCTURE, however is not affected and is not in the floodplain".  I will not need to get insurance.

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Karol Grove, one of the surveyors listed, has stated  that all of the houses built before May 3, 2010 are considered to be "Pre-FIRM" properties and thus eligible for the very cheapest insurance rate for ever (or until they change the law). There is a Preferred Rate Plan for the first two years that has a low rate and then beginning in the third year you have to pay the regular subsidized NFIP rate. But the Pre-Firm rate goes on forever or until changed by FEMA. At the meeting Monday, the insurance reps who spoke recommended for those who are in a floodplain to get a certificate of elevation to determine how much of the structure is in the floodplain. The less the structure is in the lower the insurance rate. But the Pre-Firm properties automatically get the cheapest rate so it is not necessary to get the certificate of elevation for that purpose.

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Today we contacted our insurance provider (State Farm) and inquired as to how our property was listed in the FEMA flood zone map.   The agent required our property tax number (on our township tax bill).  This apparently was needed to access the information on the computer system they use.  We got a call back, telling us our property fell in 'Zone X'.   This meant we are not required to purchase flood insurance.   

 

I hope this might help some homeowners to contact their insurance providers, and obtain this information for their homes.



Respectfully,

Mike Hornai


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